


Have courage, Be kind

by drechian



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cinderella Elements, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I will try to outweigh the angst with fluff, I'm sorry he doesn't deserve this, Minor Character Death, Peter's family dies, may dies, team as a family, will add more tags in the later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-06-22 06:48:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15576144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drechian/pseuds/drechian
Summary: It has come to the land’s attention that King Tony and Queen Pepper are unable to produce an heir. So they hold a competition for all the skillful youths of the kingdom to see who is worthy of being the next king or queen of the land of New York.Or a Cinderella inspired AU where Peter Parker is Ella but instead of finding your true love, you find a family.





	1. Promise

Once upon a time, there lived a husband and wife who made medicinal potions and sold them all over the land for a living. They live in a simple house just outside the kingdom of New York, along with their kind and hardworking workers, their farm animals, and their blooming garden. But what made the place feel like home was their young ten year-old son, who brought nothing but happiness to their lives. 

Peter Parker, much like his parents, was smart. He liked reading books, and his interest lean more on stars, mechanics, and medicine - a wide and varying array of choices that every adult found it impressive.He had memorized all the herbs in their garden at the age of four, and knew their uses at the age of five, and by eight he was already a wonderful assistant in the making of their product. At the age of ten, he was already tinkering with clocks and music boxes, something his mother and father would bring him every time they got back from a business trip.

He was also very helpful and obedient. Despite having workers in the house, he tend to help with chores, specially if it had to do with the animals- he liked giving his horse, Karen, a bit more hay than the others, only because she puts up with him more. The household staff made sure to give him enough to do for a distraction, but never overworked him. Little did they know that the boy would be crawling into their hearts so easily. 

Finally, something everyone who knew him would never deny, he was kind. He had never treated any other living thing harshly no matter how they look or how they act and he faced every challenge head on! 

The Parker Family was happy and content with their lives, and Peter felt loved every single day of his life. 

That is why they hadn’t seen the tragedy coming at all.

It was supposed to be a normal business trip. Peter had hugged and kissed his mother and father goodbye like he normally did as they left him under the care of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. His father even promised to bring him home a new book about machinery upon their return. Peter’s eyes twinkled in excitement as he expressed that he would be missing them and waiting for them every single day they were away. 

Little did he know that was the last time he was ever going to talk them. 

“While they were crossing the bridge back, it collapsed. Their carriage- it crashed down to the raging river. It was torn into pieces. We couldn’t find their bodies anymore.” A man regretfully informed. Unable to look at May, Ben, or Peter - the young boy who felt like his life just. Got shattered. The man handed him a book about machineries and that was when the boy started crying.

Everyone in the Parker household mourned, but nothing was more heartbreaking than seeing a ten year-old boy mourning empty caskets. 

The household was then left under the care of Ben and May Parker, who were more than good enough guardians for Peter. They loved him like they would love their own kid. It was a tough year for them, but the three of them made it one way or another. 

Unlike Peter’s parents though, they weren’t good at making medicine. Ben had to provide for them by fixing up carriages, clocks, and other machineries. May sold the herbs, fruits, and vegetables of their garden at the market. 

Peter continued to make medicine like his parents did, but they didn’t travel anymore to sell it. Instead, he asked his Aunt to sell them along with the harvest. Other than that, he has learned a lot about machines from his uncle too, and he helps out whenever he can. 

Things were new but things started to feel normal again, and it stayed like that until Peter turned fourteen. 

The world decided that it was about time to take something away from him again. 

While out with his Aunt and Uncle, closing up their stall in the market, a mugger came to them and attempted to steal their earnings for the day. 

Ben protected them. He was stabbed in the chest. There was nothing else they could do. 

The mugger was shocked. Fear and regret even reflected on his face. He just needed the money. He never wanted to be a murderer. 

Peter didn’t see this. Out of pure anger, he pounced on the now weaponless mugger and started punching him in the face brutally and mercilessly. 

The man begged him to stop, but he didn’t, because did the man stop when his Aunt was asking him to not hurt her husband? Did he stop when his Uncle Ben stumbled down? No. 

May pulled him away and despite the young boy’s thrashing, she managed to engulf him in her arms, rocking him to calm him down.

By this time, the now beat-up mugger ran away for dear life, leaving the family alone in the night. He was never found again.

The funeral came the next day. And the household was again silent the day after. 

May and Peter were left behind by the people they loved, and now they only had each other. 

She held him close while they shared the bed, moonlight softly shining down on them. 

“Peter, can you promise me something, honey?” Aunt May asked softly. 

Peter, from his comfortable position of snuggling on her shoulder, looked up at her curiously, “What is it, May?”

“Will you… will you promise me to never attack someone like that again?” 

The boy was confused. “But why? I did it for Ben! He deserved it!”

“He did. Oh, Peter. I know he did- but- but- violence is never the answer. It’s okay to fight for someone to protect them, but acting out of spite, and anger, and vengeance? Peter, baby, you are so much better than that.” Her hand falls gently on Peter’s cheek as she stares into his eyes with so much affection. “You are kind, you are courageous. That wasn’t you, Peter. Please promise me you will continue being kind and courageous.”

Peter frowned, because Ben died because of that man, and he deserved to be punished  _ somehow _ , but May was right. So he promised. He promised to never do it again.

The two of them managed. Peter started taking over Ben’s machinery repairs, but most were not adamant about letting a young boy touch their expensive items. Luckily, the crops and medicine brought enough money in to keep their household afloat- their animals were still fed, and their workers are still paid. Life seemed to be turning out for Peter again. 

That is until May fell in love again. 

It was so sudden. Peter was reading the book about machines his father bought for him, and May was just sitting next to him, playing with his hair. It was peaceful.

Then she asked, “Peter, will you entertain the idea of me marrying again?”

His eyes snap away from the book and went straight to her, surprise etched in every muscle of his face. 

“You want to marry someone again?” 

May felt somewhat ashamed for bringing it up, but she continued anyway, “Don’t get me wrong, honey. Your Uncle Ben will always have a special place in my heart- but… I met this man at the market a few weeks back, and he has been nothing but kind, and sweet, and he kept me company at our stall-”

Peter’s gaze softens. “You love him.”

“I really do. And he asked me about marriage just the other day- but I didn’t want to marry him if you weren’t okay with it, Peter. Because you’re the most important person in my life.”

He shifts his positions so he was fully facing May, taking her hands in his, then offered her a reassuring smile. “If he makes you happy, May, then I see no reason why not. I’m sure he’s lovely. You have my blessing.”

May was overjoyed, tears brimming from her eyes as she tackled Peter and enveloped him in a hug. “I’m sure you’re going to love him! He also has a son, around your age too. I think you’re going to get along so well.”

It wasn’t long until he met the man, Norman Osborn, a successful business man, and his son, Harry Osborn. They were gentlemen, and they acted kindly towards them. They brought gifts whenever they visited, and celebrated special occasions with them and the whole household. Harry and Peter became good friends even. 

The marriage followed immediately after. Soon the Osborns move into the house. Everything was going well again. 

But the world proves Peter wrong once more, in the most horrible way possible. 

May got ill. Something the doctors could not heal. Peter made her medicine, but it did not seem to work as well as it should. 

While bedridden, Peter sitting beside her bed, grasping her hand desperately, May smiled weakly, “I’ll get better soon, Peter. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you.”

She didn’t. And that was the moment his world truly, completely shattered.

At the back of his mind, he thought that at least he still had Harry and Mr. Osborn with him as his family.

But that changed in time too. 

Norman Osborn, so distraught from losing his wife, changed drastically. He became strict, angry. He lashed out on the Parker household staff, to the point that they were all sent packing. Peter begged them to stay, but there was nothing he could do.

Furiated himself, Peter shouted at Norman. “Why did you do that?! They were like family to me! Now they’re gone.”

Norman Osborn sat on his chair, looking outside the window, a broken look on his face. “I’m sorry, Peter.” His voice cracked, and this made Peter feel guilty about shouting, “But May… I loved her so much. Seeing them okay with her just gone made me so angry.”

And Peter was reminded of how he acted when Ben died, how May forgave him. So was Peter expected to forgive Norman? Even if it meant losing the last bit of his family? 

He was unsure, but he did it anyway. 

No new staff were hired yet. Peter, out of habit, prepared them their breakfast and got a head start on the chores. It was how he spent time with the household staff. He realized it felt lonely doing it alone- so he was happy he helped all those times ago. 

Norman and Harry finally woke up and were surprised with what they saw. “Peter, you did this?”

Peter nodded shyly and somewhat proudly. May was always happy when the house was clean and whenever he cooked for them. He hoped Norman was too. 

“I see. This is perfect!” The older man announced as he went towards Peter, putting both his hands on his shoulders. 

Peter offered a small smile, but he was confused, “Uhm, what do you mean Mr. Osborn?”

“We can save a lot of money if you just do the chores and do the cooking. We don’t need to hire maids.”

The young boy froze at this. “W-what? I-I can’t do this all on my own, Sir-”

“Yes, you can.” Norman cut him off, “I mean it’s only been the morning and you already finished the entire first floor.”

“B-but I- I- cleaning the whole house alone would take an entire day- and I have to sell the crops at the market- and I have readings and-” Peter stuttered as he argued because he couldn’t believe what was happening, he feared was what happening. 

“Peter-” The older man’s voice turned colder and it made Peter tense and shut up, “Do you really want me to spend a lot of money when you can help with it? Is that too much to ask? May always said you were willing to help, is she wrong?”

Peter’s heart broke at the mention of his Aunt’s name. Would May be disappointed in him if he said no? He wished he could ask her, but he couldn’t. And he didn’t want his Aunt to be proven wrong. 

So Peter ended up doing the household chores every single day since then; he cooked three times a day, he cleaned all the floors, he fed the animals, he harvested the crops and watered them down. Everyday he started early, and ended up finishing late. He used to make time for readings, and tinkering, but Norman Osborn’s list of chores grew longer and longer everyday. He was asked to pick up food from the market, to pick-up clothes they had asked to be made from the tailor, to deliver the crops to different stalls in the market (he was not allowed to own a stall of his own anymore because it distracted him from the other chores.)

When Peter said anything about it, Norman would spat, “Peter. You are not the only one working to keep this house afloat. Do not be selfish.” And the young boy wouldn’t argue ever again.

Harry and Peter grew apart due to their conflicting schedules. Harry was always away studying, while Peter was just at home. At least, that was what Peter made himself believe. He refused to acknowledge what Harry told him. 

“I can’t be seen hanging out with… with a servant, Pete.”   
  


Peter was confused. If anything, he was Harry’s brother, or at least his friend, right? He wasn’t a servant. He just helped around the house whenever he could. 

But at one point of his new life, his work had been too much- he was so tired, he couldn’t even climb up the stairs to his room. Instead, he settled collapsing in the living, in front of the fireplace. There he slept. 

He woke up when the chickens sang. He went to the bathroom to freshen up before he had a head start on all his chores. He looked at the mirror to see his reflection, instead he saw a pitiful boy, who once was happy, who once glowing, now covered in dirty rags and cinder straight from the fire. 

His fingers touch the reflection, and even that left a trail of black dust. 

Tears slip from his eyes. 

At the age of fifteen, his parents were gone, his aunt and uncle were gone, his whole household left. All he had now were Norman and Harry, but they weren’t his family. He was grateful that they even let him stay, that they even feed him. This was his life now. He just needed to accept it. 

Peter wiped away the tears and washed up, then went away to start on his new daily routine. 

He finally accepted it, and he just had to be.strong.

His Aunt’s words echo in his mind. 

_ “Please promise me you will continue being kind and courageous.” _

And Peter promised. And he isn’t one to break a promise.


	2. Invitation

New York is one of the strongest kingdom in all the land simply because it is ruled by a strong man. 

King Tony Stark is truly a one of a kind king who has a flamboyant and charming personality, and interesting hobbies such as welding and making machines. But before that, he was previously known for his reckless behaviour as a prince; he had numerous relationships that did not flourish, he got into fights with knights and advisers, and his words during meetings used to start wars with neighboring kingdoms. 

He started to change when his parents died. He wasn’t ready to take over the throne, so the adviser at the time, Obadiah Stane, lead the country. 

It didn’t take long for everyone to realize that he was evil and corrupt; his actions were taking a toll on the kingdom. Tony had to do something about it.

Obadiah did not go down without a fight. They had a joust to see who was more worthy of the crown. Tony won the title by creating one of the strongest armor that existed. Obadiah didn’t stand a chance. 

It earned him the title of ‘Iron King.’ 

While dealing with the new challenges of being an appropriate and responsible king, he met a group of strong people who pledged their loyalty to him and to their land. There were warriors like Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanov, Scott Lang, and Sam Wilson, as well as the archer, Clint Barton, the researcher and doctor, Bruce Banner, and the mage, Wanda Maximoff. They are lead by General James Rhodes, Tony’s best friend for as long as he could remember. 

Opposing kingdom called them Stark’s army, the people of New York saw them as protectors, Tony treated them more like a family. After all, they helped shape him into a better person, and as well as kept him out of trouble. Oh, but a name that stuck was ‘The Avengers.’ No one could really explain how that came along, but they all thought it sounded really cool.

Although the Kingdom only flourished as much as it did when Queen Pepper Potts-Stark stepped up to the throne. For the longest time, she was only just Tony Stark’s adviser. But she had been there for Tony through thick and thin, so it was no surprise that they ended up together eventually. Happy, the man who handled the castle staff and current adviser of the kingdom, as well as one of Tony’s long time friends, would brag that he was the one who got them together. For a while, it had been an issue that Tony decided to marry a commoner instead of a neighbouring princess, but eventually it was one of the things that made New York unique.

The result of the couple ruling the kingdom lead to multiple peace treaties, more trading partners, and happy townspeople. The Royal family seemed so perfect and untouchable. 

That is until they found out that they couldn’t produce an heir.

You see, all the kingdoms believed that having an heir seals their future, therefore the lack of one meant the lack of the other. With no one to lead after Tony’s and Pepper’s rule, their kingdom and people would be lost. The neighbouring lands refused to be associated with a kingdom that has no proper plan for the future of their people. 

They threatened to withdraw from all their peace treaties and trading partnerships if they did not offer a solution to the heir problem.

So at that moment in time, Tony and Pepper were preparing to leave for a meeting with all the rulers of the land to address this growing issue. It took a while to think of a solution, but they finally had one- they didn’t really like _it,_ but they couldn’t hold this off any longer.

Yet looks of annoyance reflected on the king’s and the Avenger’s faces, as if all of this was no big deal.

“Remind me again why we’re leaving the comfort of the castle?” Clint asked with a whine. 

“Because our trading partners and sister lands have fickle loyalties.” Natasha begrudgingly answered. 

“And this is news because?” The Archer continued. 

Steve just sighed, “Because now it actually has consequences.”

Clint, Natasha, and Steve were assigned to accompany their majesties to the meeting, to make sure they arrive there safe and sound, and to protect them all throughout the ordeal. The rest were just there to send them off. 

“Well, we all knew telling them that Tony and Pepper still had a long life wasn’t going to hold them off much longer.” Bucky commented, shrugging. Sam moved next to him, putting an arm over his shoulder. “At least they left us alone for five years, right?”

“Five years too quick,” Tony grumbles, “Honestly, they treat us like we’ll die any moment.”

“Well… your life has been threatened for a few times in the recent past, and that poisoning incident a few years back did really give them a scare.” Bruce reminded, which only earned him a dismissing wave from the king himself. 

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“To them it does.” Scott snorts, “They think you’re a fraile little old king.” That earned him a glare. 

“You used all the wrong adjectives there, Lang.”

Wanda crossed her arms and glared. “Why do we try to fix our relationship with other lands when they always seem to find a reason to break it?”

And Pepper just sighs at her statement. “Because despite them being… difficult, we need them to uphold peace for our people.”

Years of partnerships is the only reason why their land is as flourishing as it is. And even though they already grew so much as a kingdom and could most likely stand on their own, they would rather not risk being isolated from the rest. It could mean being the first target of a war if one ever starts. 

Wanda knew this, but she hated the circumstances. She just grumbled in response.

“Okay, okay. We have a schedule to keep.” Happy stepped in between the group. “Your majesties are ready, I assume?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be, I guess.” The queen offered a tired smile to their adviser. 

“And you guys know what to do right?” He then turned to the three warriors coming along. 

It was Steve who answered for them. “We’ll keep them safe.” 

He then turned to the newly assigned driver, who was just keeping to himself while the rest had been conversing. The man looked nervous and quite frankly scared. Happy put a lot of weight on his shoulders because he himself wanted to drive the rulers to the meeting, but leaving the kingdom without their king and queen was risky enough, much more if the adviser came along. So Happy couldn’t help but be strict with him. 

“Don’t forget what I told you.” The man pointed an accusing finger at the worker. “Take the secret route. It hasn’t been used for a while, so the plants there probably grew out, its still passable as long as you’re careful. There are tons of rose bushes there, make sure to watch out for the horses. If anything happens to the king and queen, you will be in more trouble than you can imagine.” 

The driver couldn’t help but gulp under the fiery glare of his boss. 

If it weren’t for Tony putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder, extinguishing the intense glare, the poor guy was sure he was going to melt on the spot. 

“Take it easy on the guy, okay, Hap? We’ll get there just fine.” The king then turned to his loyal warriors. “Keep this kingdom safe, you hear me? If anyone tries to cause trouble, give them hell.”

No one answers, but their smiles were enough to assure their majesty. 

Tony then turned to Happy and whispered. “Make sure they don’t burn down the kingdom, okay?”

Happy just snorts, “You know I won’t let that happen.”

The king just smiles cheekily. “I know.”

And with that, they head off.

\----

It was one of those mornings that Peter overslept due to exhaustion. Norman and Harry were already at the table, and the only thing in front of them were bread and cheese. 

Norman was outraged. “Peter! We simply asked you to prepare us breakfast. There isn’t even tea here!”

“I’m so sorry, sir. I was just so tired from yesterday.” Peter hurried along with the newly boiled water, preparing them their tea while the two other men started eating. Peter pretended not to hear Norman muttering about him just spouting ‘excuses.’

When he was done with the drink, Peter sat down with them at the dinner table, exhaustion still on his back and shoulders. He reached out for a piece of bread, but was stopped when Norman cleared his throat. 

“What are you doing?” He asked. Peter’s gaze went from him to the bread as fear and confusion slowly took over his face.

“I-I’m having breakfast with you, sirs.” He answered with a small voice, confidence just draining out.

Norman just snorts, and smiles wickedly. “Oh you don’t have to do that. After all, you’re tired, aren’t you? It would be too much to ask of you to prepare food and  _ eat  _ with us. No, no. You just go retire to your room. You can eat later.” 

Peter was lost for words. His chest felt heavy and tears just threatened to escape. But he kept it together. He already knew how Norman was, he knew that arguing would get him scolded.

He also knew that not following meant that he wouldn’t get food at all. It wouldn't be the first time.

Because when Norman says ‘You can eat later,’ it has an unsaid, ‘If you’re obedient.’ 

So Peter obeyed. He nodded, returned the bread, stood up, and was about to leave-

“Wait, Pete!” But Harry held him by the wrist to stop him. And for a moment, Peter felt a spark of hope that his friend was going to help him. 

The spark died in a flash. 

“Remember those flowers I like? The blue ones?” The other boy asked. Peter just gulped and nodded. 

“The roses? The ones that grow near the edge of the forest?”

Harry smiled. “Yeah those. Can you pick some for me later when you’re done resting? I’m planning to give more to MJ. She likes them. Make sure they’re fresh and dethorned."

He said yes, of course, as if he had any other choice. He  _ never _ had a choice. 

So Peter left the dining table. 

But he didn’t go to his room.

He hopped on Karen and rode her away- away from that place he once called home, away from the people who would ridicule him. 

And who would ridicule the tears that were now falling down his face.

\----

The king’s and queen’s carriage was already halfway across the woods, or at least that was what the driver thought. He just went forward despite his clear memory that the path shouldn’t have been as dark as it was. And quite frankly, there was no path anymore- Happy was right. It hasn’t been used in so long that the weeds and bushes already covered the dirt road. The driver believed he had it under control though.

Natasha believed otherwise. “We’re lost.” She said boredly as she watched their surroundings move through the window. 

Pepper just sighed. “He’s new, and no matter how much Happy trains them, it’s still difficult to get through this path. Only he really knows it by heart.”

“I don’t think we’re even on the secret path.” Clint pointed out. 

“Give the driver some slack- he’s trying.” Steve said with a small frown. 

Tony just sighed and shook his head, “Good for him, honestly. But we are kind of in a hurry to get to a meeting. This could compromise all our partnerships.”

“Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? I’m sure you won’t lose partnerships just because you’re late.” The blond soldier tried to ease their worries. 

But the archer just snorted and ruined it. “Please they’re a bunch of spoiled babies, of course they’ll use this against us. At least we’re sure Wakanda and Asguard will stay. Those guys are good.” 

Natasha swatted him. “You’re not helping.”

Clint flinched away from her and hissed, “What? You agree don’t you? We all know this.”

“Yes, we do. But please refrain from saying it out loud, especially when we’re actually at the meeting place where those spoiled babies could hear.” Pepper reminded sternly, but a hint of amusement was present in her voice.

“Aye aye, your majesty.” Clint sheepishly saluted. 

“Why do you listen to Pepper and not to me?” Tony accused. 

The archer pretended to not know what he was talking about. “I listen to you  _ sometimes.” _

“Oh yeah, name one time.”

“Uhm. How about the time-”

Their light-hearted banter was stopped when the whole carriage swerved, and pained neighs of horses echoed around them. 

Outside, the driver had not seen the patch of rose bushes and had just galloped straight towards them. Poor horses didn’t see it coming. Panicked after being pricked by thorns, they thrash and started running in a hurry in no direction in particular, but they go through more rose bushes - taller ones at that- and more and more, the horses got pricked and hysterical. 

Natasha opened the window to talk to the driver. “What’s happening?!”

The driver just pulled as much as he can, trying to navigate through the dark paths of the forest. But in fear of being scolded and losing a job, he reassured the warrior, instead of telling the truth. “I got it under control, Lady Romanov. You can rest at ease.”

They hit another rose bush and the horses take a sudden turn, making the female warrior fall back inside. She then growled. “Under control, he says. He literally doesn’t know where he’s going.”

“Hey, buddy!” Clint knocked on the carriage, trying to catch the driver’s attention, all the while holding for dear life. “Why don’t you just stop this carriage, huh?”

Outside, the driver fidgeted nervously, not knowing what to say. He really didn’t want to get in trouble. 

Steve tried to reassure him. “It’s not your fault. Just stop the carriage and we’ll figure it out.”

The driver pulled, and pulled. The horses just wouldn’t listen to him. “I can’t!” He admitted in panic. 

Tony snapped. “What do you mean you can’t?!”

Another swerve catched them all off guard. 

Pepper crashed to one side of the carriage and tried to find something to hold on to. “Tony, what do we do?” 

“Natasha, can you try taking the driver’s place?” Tony turned to the female warrior. She nodded and threw open the carriage door, only to find that they were going through an endless patch of rose bushes and dead trees with branches low enough to hit their carriage if they weren’t careful. She clicked her tongue before attempting to scale the side of the carriage.

But before she could even completely step out, another swerve threw her inside, as well as causing the carriage to roughly hit a tree.

Screams echo from inside the carriage. Tony jumped to protect his wife, while Steve jumped to protect both the rulers, and Clint protected Natasha. The door was wrecked, but luckily the whole carriage was still holding up.

Natasha took a look outside once again to check if it’s clear, but her expression darkened at the sight. 

Still an endless narrow path of trees and bushes with no sign of an exit to the forest.

They were holding up now, but not for long.

\----

Peter was on the forest floor, half-heartedly picking the roses with his bare hands. He had been pricked a few times judging from the wounds littering his fingers, but he believed it helped him forget about the other pains he was feeling at the time.

The tears dried around the fifth flower, he was currently at his tenth. He remembered the time Harry got mad at him because he had brought back only eleven flowers. He said it was too few. Ever since, Harry had made him pick twenty every time he went out. Usually Peter picked around thirty, because sometimes some flowers weren’t good enough, and Harry would make him go back despite it being dark out or whatever the weather was. 

Peter found flower picking one of the forgiving chores though. The wounds were nothing serious, plus he got the chance to go outside, and get away from the house; if it was already dark out, he’d see the fireflies and the owls, and if it were raining, he’d get fresher flowers, and the sound of the pitter patter of raindrops would accompany him. If it was an ordinary day like it had been at the time, he found solace in the silence of the forest- a place where Norman’s or Harry’s voices couldn’t be heard. At least for a moment, the peace made him forget about everything that made his life difficult.

Then something broke his peace; Peter heard a pained cry of a horse. In worry that it was Karen, he turned only to find her okay and where he left her- but she was alerted too, looking at the direction of where the sound came from. Then he heard a crash, and that was the moment he knew there was trouble. 

He didn’t even second think. He dropped the flowers he worked hard on gathering, and hopped on Karen, instructing her to run towards the sound. 

And he rode Karen skillfully, avoiding the rose bushes and the tree branches that stuck out. It was as if he knew the place by heart.

Truthfully he did.

The sound of panicked neighs drew closer and closer until he could make out a carriage in the distance. A carriage meant people inside. People were in trouble. 

Peter pats his horse frantically. “Karen, faster!” And his loyal stead followed. 

It wasn’t long until he was beside the carriage. The door was broken and inside he saw five people looking scared yet confused due to his arrival. “No one’s hurt, right?” He asked.

Despite the people's confusion, they all nodded, and that at least was one less of Peter’s worries.

He dealt with the driver, moving forward to level with him. “Pull over!” He shouted. 

The driver just whimpered. “I can’t they won’t listen to me!” 

Peter looked at the horses, and his heart sank when he saw how injured they were. Even from where he was, he could see the thorns pricked inside the horses’ legs, especially the blood flowing from those wounds. Some vines and branches were even wrapped around them too. No wonder they were riled up and panicked. He had to calm them down somehow- and that can’t happen while they were attached to the carriage.

Peter quickly came up with a plan. “Karen, move in a bit closer!” He said, and his stead did as she was told. 

Natasha squinted at the boy. She didn’t know what he was planning, she couldn’t even guess. What could a young man like him possibly do to help them?

Tony couldn’t help but watch too. “What is he doing?”

Then suddenly, Peter was getting up from Karen. “Steady girl, come on. Just a bit more.”

Pepper’s eyes widened. “ _ What is he doing?!” _

Clint was stressed out by the sight. “The kid better not be doing what I think he’s doi-”

But before the archer could finish the sentence, Peter jumped. Pepper screamed and hid her face in Tony’s shoulder. The rest of the warriors just cussed and tried to find out what happened to the kid. 

They were beyond relieved and even impressed when they saw that young man hanging onto one of the carriage horses for dear life. 

“This kid is insane!” The archer couldn’t help but shout- he didn’t know if it was an insult or a compliment.

Peter just held on tightly. “K-karen- move upfront. Try to lead them away from branches and bushes.” And the horse followed. She made noises to alert her brethren of the obstacles while the young boy executed the next part of his plan.

Removing a horse from a carriage was always somewhat difficult, most especially if you do it while the horses moved and  _ on _ the moving horse itself. Peter had to awkwardly slump himself over the horse to reach its constraints, and when he successfully released one, he had to quickly move to another and release them too.

Peter hopped from horse to horse- he had almost slipped multiple times and almost gave every person inside the carriage a heart attack when he did so. Tony was sure his gray hairs had increased.

One by one the horses were released and the carriage started to slow. The driver could have controlled the remaining horses eventually, but he was too flabbergasted at the sight of what the boy was doing. Came the last horse, it was already tired and it just collapsed from pain and exhaustion that the carriage carefully slowed down and eventually stopped. 

The driver, after getting over the shock from what he just witnessed, climbed off his seat and ran to check on their majesties. “Your highnesses, are you alright?!”

Tony and Pepper looked over each other, and they were relieved to see that nothing has happened to them. The man just held his wife close and sighed in relief. “We’re fine.”

Clint then scoffed. “No thanks to you.” He then jumped off the carriage, looking around for their actual savior. “Where’s the kid?” Everyone else followed.

“Come on, you can do it. I just need you to get up for a little while.”

They turned to see the boy trying to help the last horse get up. The animal’s legs were shaking from its wounds, but the vines were just sinking in if it stayed as it is. Another horse- an uninjured one, probably the boy’s- came trotting over and it helped its fellow horse, leading it to lean on a tree. The boy nodded in gratitude, patting his horse’s snout. “You did great, Karen. Remind me to give you an apple.”

Neighs came from behind them and the adults were surprised to see the rest of their horses gathered in a space not too far. 

The kid managed to save them  _ and _ save their horses. They were more than impressed. 

But he wasn’t done yet. The kid kneeled on the floor and very carefully, he started removing the vines and thorns from the last horse. It whined, but he cooed to it, calming it with pats and reassuring whispers. “It’s just gonna hurt for a little while, okay?” He then turned to the adults, shyly ducking his head when he noticed that all their attention was on him. 

He felt insecure. His hair and clothes were a mess because of the chase- not to mention old and worn out because Norman hasn’t really bought him new clothes in a while- plus he was covered in dirt and leaves as well from the flower-picking earlier.

In comparison, the people around him were clean, dressed nicely, he can even tell it was expensive- he knew that they only looked slightly disarray due to the accident. He cleared his throat and tried to muster up the confidence to ask. “A-are you all okay, Sirs, Ma’ams?” Because it has been a while since he talked to other nobles that weren’t his step-brother, and step-father, and he wondered if the rest were like them- people who don’t like mere servants speaking to them so casually.

That question snapped the adults out of staring. It was Pepper who first spoke up, stepping forward and saying, “Yes, we are. All thanks to you, young man.” She said it so softly and kindly, it felt really foreign to Peter.

Tony followed, and he sported a tired but impressed smile. “You’re crazy, you know that, right? Jumping in front of a carriage? Probably the craziest thing I’ve ever seen a child do. That’s saying a lot. I’m honestly impressed and grateful.”

The young man blushed at the compliment. It’s been a while since something nice was said to him. “I-it’s no big deal, ma’am, sir. Plus, Karen did most of the work. I just gave instructions.”

Steve whistled. “That is one fine stead you got there, champ.”

He smiled. “The best one I’ve ever had and an honor of meeting. She takes care of me more than I take care of her.” The horse nudged him playfully and neighed in delight. 

His smile disappeared though when his attention went back to the other horses. “But speaking of care, that’s something your horses are in dire need of. You don’t plan on continuing your journey in their current state, right?”

The adults frowned at that. They didn’t want to, but they had to. 

“We’ve got places to be, kid. We need to move forward.” Clint answered. 

This easily made Peter distraught. “But- but look at them! They could barely walk with their injuries. The kingdom isn’t too far. You can still go back.”

“It’ll take too much time, not just to go back but to also have them replaced. They’ll have to power through it.” Natasha said in a finality. 

“But- but that’s unfair!” He couldn’t help but raise his voice. And the outburst sounded so young and childish, Peter surely wasn’t proud of it. He would never speak out to defend himself, but it was another thing when he has to defend others. 

“The horses serve you with everything they’ve got- they take you to wherever you need to be with little to no complaints. You can’t do this to them.”

Everyone was taken aback by this, that it made all the adults feel guilty. The driver tried to argue though, because he believed a random child didn’t have the right to talk back to the king and queen and their associates. “Child, stop your insolence. They’re just horses-” 

Peter turned to the man and looked at him sternly. “Horses are living creatures. Living creatures have needs. And they  _ need _ us to take care of them. Isn’t it the least we could do after making them go through such a dangerous path?”

Everyone was yet again caught off guard by this. The king and queen, as well as the Avengers found it impressive how the boy’s moral code did sound childish albeit, but it was rationally sound. But the driver -he was enraged and embarrassed, because he felt that this child was insinuating that it was  _ his _ fault why it had happened. “Listen here, urchin!” He stepped closer and pointed an accusing finger, making Peter flinch and step back. “How  _ dare _ you speak out towards us? Know your place. You may have saved us but that does not change the fact that we are of a much higher stature so you don’t have the right to speak to us that way.”

Peter reeled back, tucking himself closer to his horse, because the driver was right- how could he keep forgetting that he was now just a mere servant? Yet he still somehow found himself arguing back with a weaker voice, just to defend the poor horses, “I-I’m sorry, sir. But they really need-”

He flinched when the man had shouted at him again. “Silence!” And that was the end of it. Peter’s mouth was clamped shut, shrinking in on himself as he was put into place. 

Tony couldn’t just watch anymore. Something about scolding a kid that practically saved their lives did not sit well with him. Something about how this kid defended plain old horses with so much passion was valiant- he wondered if he’d do the same for people. Then seeing him retreat to the safety of his horse after being scolded for something that wasn’t wrong was almost heartbreaking. 

The king acted, placing a firm hand on the driver’s shoulder. “Stop that. The kid’s right, no need to shout at him.”

Every other adult watched Tony. Tony just continued and walked towards Peter, who slowly was starting to get hopeful again. 

“S-so you’re not going to travel with them anymore?” 

The king shook his head. “We need to,” Peter was going to argue again, but Tony cut him off. “But I’ll give you a chance to try and figure this out.”

Peter looked at him wide-eyed and curious. “What do you mean, sir?”

Tony figured, “You formulated a plan to save us from an out of control carriage in what? A minute or so? Maybe even mere seconds? Even if it was an insane plan, may I add. But I’m sure you can think of a plan where we could leave as soon as possible without going back, but have the horses treated enough to travel.”

Pepper rarely saw her husband give chances to others- she knew he only gave them away when someone wouldn’t waste them. And Tony was testing this kid. The three Avengers watched expectant, curious, some may say amused. And the driver, he was speechless. He wondered what the king was thinking. Surely, it was impossible to have a solution for their predicament in such a short time.

But then Peter stood proudly, determination etched on his face, then he nodded, grabbing Tony’s hands- catching the man completely off guard. “Thank you for giving me this chance, sir! I already have a plan, and it’ll take an hour at most.”

Tony looked at their hands then at Peter’s face, slightly still shocked by the sudden touch- because he was a king- no one just touches him whenever they see fit. But he decided to let this one pass. “An hour is still too long, kid. You need to shorten it.”

The kid was taken aback by this, but he didn’t give up. He came up with a solution quick. “Then help me. With all of us here, we could cut the time by more than half.”

And that was another thing. No one so casually asked the ruler of the kingdom for help in treating horses, but today was probably a special case. “Okay, kid. I’m convinced. What’s the plan?”

Peter just beamed. Tony swore he has never seen a brighter smile before. 

\-----

So his plan was to ride back to his home and bring back medicine and bandages and apples for the horses, as well as tools to fix the carriage- the last part was a pleasant surprise for Tony because he rarely met mechanics in the kingdom, much more someone as young as him. He was much more impressed when the boy’s trip took less than a couple of minutes. He knew how to act fast. 

There were six horses, and there were seven of them. Peter taught them how to pull the thorns out, apply the medicine, and wrap the bandages. Luckily everyone followed the instructions easily, save the driver who volunteered to treat two horses to save Pepper and Tony the trouble, but when he agitated the poor animal, Peter had to step in. 

It was all done quickly, like the kid had promised. The horses were all able to stand without much hardships anymore, and surely if they do not overwork them, they are able to bring them where they are headed with little to no problems at all. The Avengers and the driver started strapping them while the animals ate their meal.

All the while, Peter fixed the door of the carriage. Tony watched the kid work. Precise, fast, serious. The makings of someone who already had so much experience. And he was still so young, so much to learn. 

“You’re smiling.” Pepper pointed out, a hint of amusement in her voice. 

Tony just shrugged. “What can I say, the kid’s impressive. Honestly, if all the kids who are going to join the competition are as skilled as him in his age, then maybe our kingdom would stand a chance.”

The queen gave a bittersweet smile. Of course, they had to worry about _ the competition _ . But she agreed with her husband. If a kid like this existed, then maybe  _ it _ wasn’t a bad idea.

“It’s fixed!” Peter announced as he tested the carriage door and closed it. “Sorry about the cracks and scraps. I don’t have paint or the right materials to cover them.”

Tony couldn’t believe this kid - apologizing despite everything he has done. He just offered him a  smile and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. You did an amazing job, kid.”

Pepper approached him with a smile, and Peter just shied away. She looked beautiful and kind, yet powerful. He was quite honestly in awe. “You have our gratitude, young man. Anything we can do to repay you?”

They were prepared to give him any amount he asked. Most people would demand a bag filled with gold, or jewels, or whatever kind of treasure after helping their majesties. 

But this kid only smiled warmly and shook his head. “I’m just happy to help, ma’am, sir. And I’m just glad you’re all safe, as well as the horses.”

Tony and Pepper were more than surprised, and now they were just beyond impressed. A kid, so skillful, so smart, and with a heart of gold- just what the kingdom needed, and honestly just what they themselves wanted in a child. 

But he wasn’t theirs. 

“The horses are all strapped in plus they’ve finished eating.” Clint announced, breaking the three’s moment. “Natasha volunteered to drive.”

“I need to teach the new guy some lessons.” She said strictly, and the poor driver just looked scared. 

“We’re ready to head off.” Steve said. “Thanks for the help, kid.”

Peter just nodded. “You’re welcome, sir. He then turned to Tony and Pepper. “I guess it’s time for you to leave. I need to head back too.” He then walked over to Karen and hopped on her. “I wish you all a safe journey.”  
  


He was about to ride off, but the brunet man’s voice stopped him. “Hold on, kid.” Tony then climbed back inside the carriage and grabbed what it seemed to be a letter from a chest. The rest of the adults’ eyes widened. 

“Take this.” He offered the kid the envelope.

Peter took it and eyed it curiously. “What is it?”

The man smiled. “An invitation.” He then turned around and walked away. “See you around.”

One by one, the adults got on the carriage and it wasn’t long until they left. Peter watched them go before inspecting the letter further. 

He turned it around and that was the only time he saw the wax emblem on the envelope. 

The symbol of the Starks. 

He quickly opened the letter to see if it was a joke or a mistake, but the man had been right. It was an invitation. 

Peter quite possibly just saved the king and queen of New York, and they invited him to join a competition?

\-------

In the meeting, Tony and Pepper announced that their solution to their problem was a competition. All the youths between sixteen and eighteen of the land of New York are qualified and invited to join. There, they will be tested in varying fields ranging from a knowledge test or a skills test to see if any of them are worthy of the throne. The competition would start a week after said announcement and it will last for another.  After fourteen days, the king and queen will choose who will rule after them.

 

In just a few days, New York will have its heir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! Took a while to get this update out. It's pretty long. I'm actually almost finished with the next one, and it's longer. So I was wondering if you guys mind long chapters?
> 
> Also please leave a comment! 
> 
> Do you like my work? Please consider supporting me by buying me a coffee ❤☕ :[ Ko-fi @a-dreya](https://ko-fi.com/M4M5J03A#)


	3. Chance

By the time Tony and the rest were back to the kingdom, the news about the competition was already out and the invitations were already sent. The whole castle -mainly Happy and Rhodey- was in the process of preparing for the tests.

It was dinner time and the queen, the king, their adviser, as well as all of the Avengers were enjoying a fine meal, happily conversing with each other.

Sam’s laugh echoed in the dining area. “You got saved by a _  kid?!”  _ Bucky was snickering beside him, much to Steve’s hushing.

Clint slammed the table. “Hey, he was a smart kid! And we had a dumb driver! If it was us driving the whole time, we would have been fine.”

Natasha pulled his ear. “That is not how you behave in a dining table.”

“Oh, come on!” The archer whined, “It’s not like this is a banquet filled with important people!”

“Rude!” Scott snarked.

Happy grumbled though. “But they’re right. I knew I shouldn’t have let him drive you.”

Tony just waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t put the blame on yourself, Hap. We all know how strict you are with these staff. At this point, the problem would be with them, not you.”

Pepper nodded. “Although, maybe don’t be too harsh with him? The path was always hard to pass.”

Wanda ate a spoonful of soup. “Maybe we should find a new secret passage. This one’s already dangerous, and a kid already knows about it.”

Rhodey made a mental note of it. “We’ll do that after the competition- which by the way, congratulations on pitching to the other rulers. “

Steve chuckled tiredly. “Let me tell you, Tony and Pepper had to work hard for them to agree to it.”

“T’challa and Thor backed them up luckily,” Clint informed, getting another piece of bread and dunking it in his drink before eating it.

“Plus, the fact that Tony is just full of surprises just made the rest of the rulers give in.” Pepper sighed too.

“Hey, surprises are good.” The king just shrugged.

“Like that surprise invitation you gave to that kid?” Natasha pointed out with a raised curious brow, some may say she was grinning with amusement too.

“You gave the kid an invitation?” Bruce was surprised.

“Yeah. Tony immediately had a soft spot for him after learning he was a quick thinker and a learning mechanic.” Pepper teased. Her husband turned red a bit - he’d deny embarrassment.

“I do not have a soft spot for him. He’s obviously qualified for the competition so I just gave him the invitation in advance.”

No one was convinced. They all just had these knowing grins on their faces.

“But Tony’s right. The young man is something else. He had a big heart that’s for sure.” The queen said with a smile on her face that was so warm, it almost seemed she was proud, but surely it was just fondness, right?

“Damn. We’d like to meet the kid.” Scott said.

Tony assured him. “In a few days, you probably will. I don’t think he’s going to pass up this chance, that’s for sure. And who’s going to stop him?”

\-------

Norman may have been angry at Peter for arriving late and ‘stealing’ apples, Harry too because he didn’t get the flowers- he mentioned the disappointment of the girl he was supposed to give it too. They may have sent him to his room without food for the rest of the day as a punishment. And they may have made sure that Peter was not allowed to leave the house for the following days. But nothing could ruin the boy’s joy upon receiving the letter.

He was at first very skeptical about it; he thought it was a prank- someone just so happened to duplicate the kingdom emblem, and make a letter saying that he was eligible to join a competition that would give him the chance to be New York’s heir. But after a few more days, a letter came for Harry as well, and when he saw that they were exactly the same, he knew it was real.

Norman and Harry cheered upon its arrival. Peter couldn’t help but smile.

“This is our chance.” Norman held his son by the shoulders, smiling at him expectantly. “We’re going to need to prepare. Peter, pack up our clothes. We’re going to the Kingdom in a day and we need everything.”

Peter was taken aback by this because Norman was asking him to pack with them, right? He said ‘we’ after all. He was bringing him with them despite not even knowing about the own invitation he had received.

He finally felt the man was giving him the chance he had always wanted him to give.

And Peter was not about to waste that chance.

So he spent the day fixing their things. He had packed over six chests filled with clothes and other necessities for his step-family-as per their orders, and for himself he only had one- he only packed clothes enough for a week, as well as some of the books and trinkets his parents had given him -to keep him company.

They had Peter prep the clothes they would wear upon leaving too. He washed them, waited for them to dry, pressed them, and removed any imperfections just like how they wanted it.

Come the day they were about to leave, Peter helped both Harry and Norman dress as well; he help them put on their coat for them, tie their shoes, fix their hair, and powder their faces. He had helped them carry their baggage down to the front door where their carriage would be arriving in an hour to pick them up.

Just enough time for Peter to fix himself. He had very few quality clothing of his own, but he figured the occasion called for something very important.

In his closet he kept a few suits that have gone untouched for years. One was a faded brown coat that once belonged to his uncle, with a white undershirt and black pants partnered with some old shoes he just polished that which were once his dad’s. And just for added luck, he wore two bracelets, one on each wrist- bracelets both his Aunt May and mother had worn- they always liked to match, and the only way to tell them apart was the embellished names on the accessory.

Peter looks at himself in the mirror and he couldn’t help but feel heavy emotion from what he saw.

He didn’t look like a servant anymore.

He looked like someone Harry and Norman would acknowledge.

He looked like someone who his parents, and his aunt and uncle would be proud of.

Someone he himself would be proud of.

He was taken from his thoughts when he heard the horses’ gallops from the outside, and quickly and excitedly he took his chest and dragged it downstairs.

When he reached the foot of the stairs, he announced with joy, “I’m ready!” And he was nothing but smiles and glee.

Norman and Harry stared at him, confused, as if he was insane.

“Ready for what?” The older man asked.

Peter answered happily. “To come with you to the kingdom, for the competition.”

The father and son continued to look at each other, before Norman just snorted and approached Peter. “Who said you were coming?”

That statement confused the boy. “The… the invitation said any youth between sixteen and eighteen are allowed to join. I’m sixteen.”

“Well yes, it does say that. But we only have one invitation.” The man tried to argue.

Peter had the confidence to raise a brow. Obviously his step-father didn’t read the letter in full detail. “It says that the invitation is accountable for all the members of the household. I am a member of this household.”

Norman finally realized that Peter was serious, that he wasn’t going to back down. He had always seen this boy with his head down low, just ready to do as he was told, but the boy in front of him was different. He stood taller, he looked determined.

And Norman just scowled at that.

He hid it quickly before walking closer to the boy, Peter just staying his ground. “I might have missed that. But sure, you can come.”

The boy brightened and turned to Norman expectantly. “Really?”

Then the man just smirked. “I suppose, but you can’t possibly be thinking of going to the competition wearing that.”

Peter looked at him incredulously. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? My uncle Ben wore this suit.”

Norman’s face darkened at the mention of his late wife’s first husband. “Oh, I don’t know, Peter. It looks slightly damaged.”

Peter didn’t have time to dodge the man’s hand going straight to his suit’s right sleeve and pulling it with so much force that he practically ripped it off. A pained cry came from Peter. “No! What are you doing?!”

Norman then spun him around and grabbed both ends of his coat just to rip it in half too. “The material is not so good too. Tsk. Tsk. Is this what a boy hoping to be a heir should be wearing?”

Peter tried to run away from him, but Norman had grabbed his wrist and kept him in place. There he saw the bracelets- the one that belonged to his mother. “Oh these look nice.” He snatched it from his arm, but quickly he threw it to the ground and stepped on it. “Not anymore.” The sound of it cracking echoed in Peter’s ears. Tears were brimming his eyes.

“No! Please stop!”

But Norman didn’t stop. He made sure every piece of clothing was clawed and ripped. The shoes were stepped on and dirtied. The only thing he managed to save was his Aunt’s bracelet.

Norman eventually threw him on the ground when he could do no more damage to his outfit, but he still wasn’t done. He took the chest containing Peter’s things and started dragging it outside. The boy’s eyes widened.

“Sir- Sir, wait! What are you going to do?!” Peter grabbed the man’s ankle, only to be shaken off.

The chest was opened and Norman scattered the clothes and items on the dirty floor. He then whistled to catch the carriage driver’s attention. “Hey chap, do me a favor and run over these things, yeah?”

The driver was hesitant, even sorry for whoever owned those clothes, but he wasn’t about to lose his job over it, so he did. And Peter just watched as every particle of important clothing and trinkets he owned was trampled on by horses.

An imagery so close to all his hope being stepped on too.

Norman just dusted off his hands and turned back to the boy with a glare. “I hope I made my message clear, Peter.” He knelt in front of the boy to level with him and he harshly held him by the chin so they were looking eye to eye. “You are not going anywhere. You are to stay in this house, keep it maintained. And you will not go anywhere near the competition. You know why? Because you are not worthy of being heir to  _ anything.  _ You will only ruin this for us and everyone who will join. Understand? Good.”

Peter couldn’t say anything, couldn’t move, couldn’t make a sound. He was just trembling in despair.

Norman pulled on his coat and fixed his hair before turning to his son who was just there silently watching the whole time. The look on Harry’s face was somewhere in between fear and pity.

“Let’s go, Harry. We’re running late.” The man went forward, no hesitation or remorse at all.

His son was different, he faltered but he still followed.

It wasn’t long until Peter was left alone in the empty house, surrounded by the remnants of his parents’ and uncle’s clothing, as well as his own. No relief came when the sounds of the carriage finally disappeared, because it was only replaced by loud, hiccuping sobs.

The boy stayed on the ground, curled up in himself, crying and clutching the bracelet so close to his heaving chest, hoping it would make everything better.

That was all he had left. Hope.

And he was running out of it.

\-----

Peter didn’t notice he fell asleep from the pain and exhaustion. He came to and it was already dark. It was silent, cold, and lonely. The house was a mess, and so was he.

And he could only really fix one.

When he stood up, just willing himself to start cleaning up his clothes and his belongings, he saw a bright light shine in the corner of his eye, and when he turned towards the door, there was a man bloodied and injured in their front yard.

His own pain and sadness was quickly brushed off as he went to the man’s aid. “Sir, Sir! Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

The man just groaned and tried to stay awake, but it didn’t take a genius to see the long cut over the man’s chest.

Peter quickly acted. “Sir, I need you to help me. I can’t carry you on my own, and we need to get you inside. Can you stand?”

It took a while, but the stranger managed a ‘yes’ as he pushed himself up with difficulty. Peter made sure to support most of his weight.

It wasn’t an easy and graceful journey to the couch, but the important thing was that they made it. Peter quickly gathered some bandages and pulled out some pre-made medicine he had hidden in his room - Norman always associated the medicine with Peter not doing the household chores, stating that if he had time making vegetable juices, then he might as well be using them to be actually helpful.

But Peter had more important things to do than sulk about the past. A man was in pain in front of him.

He had to pry open his robe and stop the bleeding. God, Peter was way over his head. He didn’t know how to tell if a wound needed stitches. He wished it didn’t. He has never stitched up anything bigger than a hand sized hole in a bed sheet, much less a gash across a person’s chest.

But his first problem would be stopping the bleeding first. He pressed a cloth soaked with warm water against the man’s bare chest, causing the stranger to flinch into almost complete consciousness.

Peter watched as he looked around and took in his surroundings, suspicious and alert, but when his eyes land on him, it turned more confused, surprised- maybe even softer. “W-where am I?”

“At a farmhouse just outside New York.” Peter answered slowly.

“New York? I can’t believe I got to New York from London. Ugh, that dragon’s claws are a pain too.” He heard the man mutter and the boy couldn’t help but be shocked. The man thought he came from the far land of London? And did he just say dragon?

“Sir, I think you’re a bit uhm... confused. But that’s okay. It’s probably because you lost er- is losing quite an amount of blood. But it’ll be okay!” Peter rambled. “Let me just stop your wound from bleeding and I’ll get you a glass of water. Maybe that’ll help.”

The stranger didn’t answer, he just looked at him with an unknown expression for a while before he just let his head relax and let his eyes close. “Thank you for your help, young man.” He said, and from there he just let Peter treat him in silence.

The bleeding stopped in more or less ten minutes. After doing so, he applied some medicine around the wound and folded a clean cloth over it. By then, the stranger had had enough rest to assist Peter with his own treatment. He held the cloth in place while the boy went away and got some water. He even brought along a glass of milk and a few pieces of bread.

“Okay, sir. We need you to sit up and undress a bit more so I could put the bandage on.” Peter said, offering his hand to the injured man.

The man looked at the hand for a while before taking it in a firm grip. “You know a child would run for the hills after seeing a bleeding man.”

The young boy just blinked at him before shrugging. “Maybe if I was five or something. But I think I’m old enough to know now when someone needs help sir.” Then carefully he pulled the stranger up.

Once again, the man observed him. Eyes focused and judging, before he spoke again. “Strange.” He said, then he slowly removed the upper part of his outfit.

Peter just looked at him confused. Did this man just insult him? “I’m sorry?”

“My name is Stephen Strange. You helped me out, so I think it is fair to offer my name.” He then pointed at him, “And you are?”

“O-oh.” The boy was embarrassed of his earlier judgement. “I-I’m Peter. Peter Parker.” He stuttered, and greeted back. “I-It’s nice to meet you and uhm, it’s absolutely no problem. I just really wanted to help. Oh uhm, but you need to turn a bit so I can wrap the bandage properly.”

Stephen complied, turning away from the kid and allowing him to help. Peter gently wrapped the bandage around the man and every time he tightened it, he heard him groan in pain. It made the boy worry, so as he proceeded, he loosened it a bit.

“What are you doing?” The man suddenly asked, snapping Peter out of his focus.

“What do you mean?”

“You were doing okay earlier, but now you’re tying the bandages too loose. It’ll unravel later if you don’t tighten it.” He explained.

Peter fidgeted nervously. “You won’t get hurt if I tighten it?”

“Trust me, I’m a doctor.” The man assured.

The boy didn’t know whether or not he should believe him. First, he had said he came from London, now he was saying he was a doctor despite his attire - robes with that many belts and a cape as eccentric as the one he was wearing and his accessories screamed more like wizard more than anything.

But Peter nodded and did as he was told. Eventually he believed that the bandage was sound enough. “Is this okay?”

“Yes. Very much.” Stephen answered, turning to Peter and nodding with gratitude. “Thank you for your help, Peter.”

“It’s honestly no problem, sir.” He stood up and offered a small smile. “Uhm I apologize but I have to start cleaning, as you can see the house isn’t… presentable.”

The man only realized the state of their surrounding when the boy had mentioned it. He only just then realized how the boy didn’t look too good himself as well, all roughed up and those red, swollen eyes- yet despite it, he still chose to help him.

“Please eat. You’ll need energy to heal. I’ll just be right over there picking the… mess up if you need anything.” Peter insisted giving Stephen the plate before walking towards the front porch.

Stephen blinked at the bread before he started eating it. He watched the boy as he chewed. The bread was a day away from going bad, he assumed, but he couldn’t complain.

Instead he spoke, “Would you mind if I asked what happened here?”

Peter flinched at the question, hand freezing before picking up his dirtied mechanics book, and speaking. “I just… tripped and made a mess.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Must be some harsh trip that would cause your clothes to practically fall apart, and the rest of your things to fly out the house. And how does the horseshoe mark over those clothes and books come into play in this?”

Peter’s shoulders fell. May always told him he was bad at lying. He just sighed and continued gathering his things. “It’s nothing you should worry about, sir. It’s my problem.”

“The least I could do is listen to your problems. Maybe I could even help somehow- just to return the favor.” Stephen offered.

Silence radiated between them before a sigh escaped the younger one’s lips, allowing himself to confide in the presence of a person he just met.

“Have you heard about how New York is to look for its heir by holding a competition?”

The man nodded. “I have. Isn’t the first day of the competition tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Peter answered, “I received an invitation to join. And I was really, really happy to find out I-I was allowed a chance for something so big, you know?” For a moment, the child’s voice was filled with excitement and awe.

“So why didn’t you go?” But to Stephen’s dismay, the voice that came with the answer was so small, so hurt.  “My step-father didn’t allow me.”

The man couldn’t help but be confused. “Why not?”

The atmosphere just dropped for a few seconds when the boy hadn’t answered. Stephen almost believed he shouldn’t have asked, but when he heard small, soft sobs escape the boy, he was then sure he shouldn’t have.

“H-he told me I-I wasn’t  _ worthy _  of joining the competition. That if someone like me were to join it, then it would just be disrespecting everyone else. He said I would just ruin it. I would just… ruin Harry’s chances.”

The man frowned. If the last few minutes he spent with the boy was anything to go by, then he was sure he didn’t deserve to have anything like that said to him. Instead of expressing his growing anger, he asked instead, “Who’s Harry?”

“O-oh. Harry is my step-brother. I guess, Norman- he’s my step-father- he’s right in a way. I don’t really want to ruin anything for them.” Stephen couldn’t ignore how Peter tried to sound strong, forcing his sobs back and wiping the tears. And he also couldn’t ignore the sincerity in his voice as if he believed every word that was said to him.

Then Peter just took in a shaky breath, walking over to the broken bracelet, and trying to gather its remnants in his hand. He continued. “Anyway, despite it I… Relented. I argued that I had the right to join the competition. My step-father got mad and he just-” He waved at his clothes and their surroundings weakly. Shame was in his voice, shame due to his disobedience and shame due to his weakness.

Peter was ready to hear ‘well that’s what disobedient children get,’ from the doctor. After all, he did disobey- he deserved what came to him. But the sentence never came.

“You do know that you aren’t wrong right?” Stephen spoke, and Peter just looked at him surprised.

“You do have every right to join that competition. You qualify for it. And if I have a say in it, I’d say you have a strong fighting chance. Your stepfather is the one who’s wrong.  _ He _  had no right to treat you the way he did, and I hope you don’t think otherwise too.”

The kind words landed a small smile on Peter’s face. “Thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you to say.” He was thankful that the man understood, that the man hadn’t ridiculed him.

Stephen gestured for him to come closer, and albeit confused, he did so. The older man looked at the bracelet in his hand and asked, “Yours?”

Peter just shook his head. “My mother’s. But I wanted to wear it to the competition for good luck.”

“And I assume that that wicked step-father of yours broke it?” He asked. The boy just frowned and nodded.

Stephen nodded back, as if he had just decided something. Then all of a sudden, he made an odd hand gesture, and with it, the gem in his necklace glowed green.

Peter was frozen in awe. Next thing he knew, green circular runes appear around the man’s hand, and at the wave of his arm, the broken bracelet slowly became whole again.

Peter felt all his breath come out. “Y-you’re an actual wizard.” The clothes weren’t just for show after all.

Stephen smirked. “I thought it was obvious. Although I prefer to be called sorcerer. Didn’t you see me fall through a portal earlier? Plus I did say I was fighting a dragon, didn’t you believe that?”

“No!” The young man exclaimed as he clutched the bracelet close to his chest before he inspected it more closely. It was good as new, better than it had looked in years. “I-I can’t believe it. Y-you fixed it! Thank you, so much Mr. Strange, sir!”

“Doctor.” The man corrected.

Peter was caught off guard. “Wait… you’re also a doctor? What you said earlier was true? You’re both a wizard and a doctor?”

Stephen raised a brow. “You thought I was lying?”

“I thought you were loopy from the blood loss!”

The older man huffed what Peter would want to assume a short laugh before standing up and testing if he was stable enough to walk around. He stumbled a bit- Peter came quickly to his aid- but he regained his balanced quickly.

“Well I  _ used _  to be a doctor. Now I’m a  _ sorcerer _ . Although I do still prefer to be called a Doctor. It is hard to study medicine and all, might as well use the title.” Stephen plainly answered, “But that being beside the point, fortunately for you, I can help you.”

“Help me?” The boy repeated questionably.

“Yes. I did say I would repay you, didn’t I?” The wizard said, and made more hand gestures. All his belongings suddenly lifted off the ground. Slowly the dust and grime on the disappears, and one by one they are organized back into his chest.

Peter would take a while to get over how amazing the wizard’s powers were- if he would ever get over it. But as soon as everything he owned was back where they were supposed to be, he snapped out of his awed state and spoke. “Sir, I appreciate you helping me clean up, but you don’t have to!”

Stephen looks at him quizzically. “Clean up? Child, I am helping you pack.”

The young man just stood there trying to process what the other man had said.

“Let me fix your clothes. You can’t go looking like that.” Stephen offered and before Peter could even speak, his clothes were already fixing itself in a matter of seconds. He suddenly looked good as new.

“W-woah. T-this is amazing! I- Thank you so much!” Peter exclaimed at the kind actions from the wizard, but he was still very much confused, “B-but what do you mean ‘pack?’ And what do you mean ‘go?’”

“You’re going to the kingdom and joining that competition.” The wizard plainly answered. “Do you not want to?”

Peter was just speechless for a moment, trying to make sense of his words. After what happened with his step-father, the wizard’s words felt like a dream. “I want to! But I can’t. H-how am I going to go the kingdom? It’s already late and I-I don’t have a carriage.”

Stephen just raised an eyebrow, although it was more because of a bit of smugness rather than annoyance. “I did tell you I got here through a portal. I can open one for you.”

The young man caught himself taking a quick breath. He really couldn’t believe it. He was going to the kingdom. He was going to join the competition.

Stephen tried to read the boy’s expression. He would have thought by now he would be cheering in glee and jumping around, but there he was just staring back at him. He suddenly thought that maybe the kid had changed his mind.  “Do you not like the idea-”

Before the wizard could finish his sentence, Peter just tackled him with a hug, catching the man completely off guard. If he were to be honest, it aggravated his wound a bit.

“Thank you.” But the boy thanked him so softly yet full of emotion, Stephen was sure his heart swelled, and maybe his wound wasn’t in such a bad state after all.

“Yes, well.” He awkwardly patted the boy’s head. “Go on. I can’t really give you a carriage, so you still need to find a small cart to strap onto one of your horses. You can’t be dragging your chest around. Plus, maybe you have a few more things you want to pack, so you better start moving. You don’t want to be late.”

Peter smiled up at the man and nodded. He then quickly unlatched himself from the wizard and started jogging away with newfound excitement. “I’ll just go get that cart, and Karen -she’s my horse by the way. She’d love to meet you. I’ll be right back!”

Stephen just watched him go with a fond smile he wasn’t aware he was making.

\------

Peter was all set and it was just the matter of Stephen opening a portal for him. They were both standing in the front yard when the wizard started his spell.

Odd yet graceful gestures were once again made, resulting to flashing bright runes appearing in thin air. The boy was sure he was never going to get tired of watching it.

As the rune started to complete its shape, Peter could see a different image inside.

At first it was just a dark alleyway, but eventually it led to a busy street- people were busy closing up their stalls or were in a hurry to get home. Unlike the small market close to theirs, that place was cleaner, less muddy. The building surrounding it were mostly made of stone, not wood. And the designs, hanged colorful banderitas sporting the emblem of the Starks, and posters just announcing the schedule for tomorrow morning.

Peter could feel his heart beat against his chest. It was really happening. He wanted it to happen, and yet something felt off.

“Is there a problem?” The wizard asked, and Peter wondered that too. He looked at the man, and  _ fear _  just reflected on his face.

“Dr. Strange, I-I’m scared.” He admitted. “I-I know, I know you said that I shouldn’t believe what my stepfather told me, but what if he’s right? A-and h-he’ll see me there for sure, and I don’t know what he’ll do. What if he does the same thing again? J-just ruin me again- but this time in front of the whole land to see. I don’t- I don’t think I can go through that again.”

The wizard’s heart sank. He wanted to give a piece of his mind to that man who just made this child so scared, so doubtful of himself, when he really shouldn’t because he has  _ so _  much to offer.

Stephen walked towards him and placed both hands on his shoulders. That moment, he looked him straight in the eye just to show him how much serious he was. “Peter, you need to believe in yourself. You’re joining this competition to prove him wrong, but most importantly, to prove something to  _ yourself _ . Fear isn’t something to be ashamed of, but you shouldn’t let it stop you. He is wrong and he will not ruin you, as long as you don’t let him. You’re stronger than his words, okay?”

And Peter, so obedient as he was, nodded. But doubt was still in his eyes. He needed just a little bit more certainty.

So Stephen willingly offered him that. “If you would allow me, I have one more spell in mind, but it requires me tampering with your bracelets. It’ll look a bit different, but it’ll be the same ones that belonged to your mother and aunt. I promise”

The boy was skeptical, but he allowed it, offering his wrists and the accessories on it to the wizard. Runes appeared at the end of his hands, and slowly it passed over his arm, until it enveloped the whole bracelet.

The bracelet had changed; it got thicker and it covered most of his wrist now, but it still had the embellishments that were once there, but this time it just graced the corners. He smiled to see that the names of his mother and aunt were still there. And surprisingly, despite it covering his whole wrist now, he could still move it. The fit was snug and almost perfect.

“They’re beautiful, but- what kind of spell is it?” Peter turned to the wizard and asked.

“Somewhat like a cloaking spell but it only works for your step-family. As long as you are wearing those bracelets, they won’t be able to recognize you. That way, you’ll only have to worry about what you need to do, and not about them.”

The boy gaped. “That’s- that’s amazing.”

Stephen couldn’t help but snort. The boy has done nothing but compliment his spells, it’s honestly amusing. “It is, but it’s not perfect. Keep the bracelets on you at all times when you’re around people, okay? Make sure they don’t hear your name too, or else it will break the spell. Introduce yourself with a fake name for the meantime.”

Peter nodded, taking in the instruction, as he felt the tension just drain out his body. He clutched the bracelet near to his chest and looked eternally grateful. “Thank you so much, Dr. Strange- I-I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“Young man, you helped me. It is  _ me _  repaying you.” But there was a voice in the back of Stephen’s head saying,  _ and I believe you deserve this chance more than most. _

 

And so with that, they said their goodbyes to each other and Peter went through the portal.

Stephen watched as the young man disappeared from his sight and he can't help but just relish in the warm feeling growing in his chest. He had a good feeling about him. He felt like that kid could take on the world. And he honestly thought he was being ridiculous because he had only been with the kid for less than an hour. But at this time and age- kindness like that was hard to come by.

Stephen wasn’t alone for long. His peace was disturbed by another portal appearing not too far behind him, and out came his allies, Mordo and Wong, who looked a little burnt and beat up. The doctor’s face soured a bit as he turned to them crossed his arms. “Oh so  _ now _  you appear? What took you guys so long?”

“Defeating the dragon is easier said than done, Strange.” Wong said.

“Plus it’s not like you needed help.” Mordo pointed out, “You look pretty fine to me.”

Stephen huffed. “It’s because a kid patched me up.”

“Good for you.” His dark-skinned friend said, coming closer to him and patting his back. “Now where’s this kid? Maybe he wouldn’t mind offering us a few glasses of water and maybe patch us up too?”

“He’s not here.” The doctor rolled his eyes, “I sent him to New York so he could join a competition to be an heir to the throne.”

His older friend looked confused yet interested. “I’m sure there’s a story behind that sentence.”

Stephen just shrugged. “I’ll tell you over bread, because luckily for you, the kid  _ is  _ so kind, he not only left water, but also snacks.”

Mordo sounded amused. “Seems like a great kid to get such high praise from the Sorcerer Supreme.” And Stephen couldn’t help but smile and think,  _ ‘If only you knew. _ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment <3 I love reading them. They motivate me to keep writing.
> 
> Also the next chapter is almost done- but I usually make sure that the chapter after that is also almost done before I post it so I hope you understand why my updates aren't as fast as I hope it to be.
> 
> Also if you like my work, please consider supporting me by buying coffee❤☕ : [Ko-fi @adreya](https://ko-fi.com/adreya)  
> By supporting me, you are assuring the continuation of this project, as well as others (I'll most likely update even faster). If you buy me enough coffees, you are also eligible to for an art commission! Feel free to visit my instagram for samples: [IG @a.dreya](https://www.instagram.com/a.dreya/)


	4. Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment <3 I love reading them. They motivate me to keep writing.
> 
> I just realized this is progressing rather slowly xD but after the first round- it'll start to unravel. For now let's enjoy Peter getting to know new people Ko-fi @adreya  
> By supporting me, you are assuring the continuation of this project, as well as others (I'll most likely update even faster). If you buy me enough coffees, you are also eligible to for an art commission! Feel free to visit my instagram for samples: [IG @a.dreya](https://www.instagram.com/a.dreya/)

Peter will admit that despite his so-called ‘quick thinking,’ he was prone to the silliest and most ridiculous mistakes. 

Like arriving in a kingdom for the first time in his life without a place to stay, and enough money to book a room, or knowing someone to stay with. 

Peter would admit that maybe he was a little too scared of losing the chance to leave for New York as soon as possible that he just forgot about everything else. It did not occur to him that it was around midnight when Dr. Strange had opened a portal for him, and the competition would not start in at least eight hours. Peter was then left with figuring out how to spend his time until then.

He didn’t let his situation bring his spirits down at first. It wasn’t really a grave situation. The shops and stores were just closing up too, maybe he’d find one that would stay open for him, or allow him to stay inside.

He wondered if the people of New York were that kind or welcoming. 

So he wandered aimlessly for a while, taking in his new surroundings all the while looking for a place to stay. He wished he could enjoy the sights- him and his parents, even his uncle and aunt, have talked about how it would be like to live near the castle- about what kind of stalls they’d find, what kind of crops, what kind of trinkets they’d see. But his family was already gone, and he wasn’t there for sightseeing. He believed the memories were a good distraction though.

It turned out the people of New York weren’t as welcoming as he thought. They weren’t mean, they mostly just wanted to close up shop and go home, so they politely told Peter no. He really couldn’t blame them. He understood that after a hard day’s work, they’d rather spend their time resting and with their family than help a random boy. Yet Peter couldn’t help but feel disheartened. 

Although he promised himself that he would figure it out, at one point in the night, the wind blew strong and cold, and both him and Karen had slowed. Peter started to feel panicky. 

He settled for a bench in the park. Peter allowed his loyal stead some rest and offered her his blanket while he settled with just another layer of clothing. 

He hugged himself for additional warmth, and tried to think of more ways to get through the night. Options like finding a nearby forest and starting a fire popped in his mind, or knocking on random homes to test his luck. But he all thought they were far-fetched. The forest seemed too far away to walk towards to, and he really didn’t want Karen to overwork herself in such a cold night. As for knocking on random doors, he thought it was a shameful, and well- he was afraid of rejection, and most of all he was afraid that someone would look at him the same way his step-father had-  _ unworthy. _     


Peter couldn’t help but sigh. His eyes fell on his bracelets, and he stared at the name engraved on them- he wondered what his mother and aunt would think of his situation, as well as his father and uncle. He also can’t help but think about Dr. Strange too, and how he had changed it and casted a spell on it just to keep him safe, yet here he was. He just felt like he was failing them by not figuring something out, and he absolutely despised the feeling.

“Wow, that is the saddest face I have seen in a while.”

Peter’s eyes quickly snapped towards the source of the voice. He was shocked to see a warmly dressed girl -certainly around his age- sitting on the bench right in front of him. Next to her was a lamp that illuminated her and the sketchbook in her hand. She wasn’t looking at him at all, instead she was sketching away.

Peter was confused. Midnight was not a normal time for any girl, or any person for that matter, to be drawing.

Her eyes fall on him all of a sudden and he couldn’t help but flinch. He felt like he was being judged- he probably really was. “You have a wide array of emotions. All of which fits my drawing theme.”

“Y-your drawing theme?” He asked meekly. 

The girl answered casually. “Yeah. I like drawing people in crisis.”

Peter wondered if he should be offended- but figured he shouldn’t be because it was true. He felt miserable, so he probably looked miserable. Instead of denying it, he thought it was an odd theme. But who was he to judge? He never knew much about art to begin with. So awkwardly he spoke. “Uhm, no one has ever drawn me before, ma’am.”

She didn’t smile, but she looked amused. Peter didn’t think that was possible to pull off. “Ma’am. I like the sound of that.” She then closed her sketchbook and straightened her posture, almost turning authoritative in a way. That made Peter straighten his posture too.

“So what’s your crisis?” She asked, and Peter was about to say something in the lines of ‘you don’t have to worry about it,’ but she continued before he could speak. “And don’t make excuses. Just answer and it’ll be easier for you. Also it’s not that I care, I am naturally curious, and if I ever turn your portrait into a completed piece, I need to tell the story behind it.”

Peter found it odd how strangers care so much about what he’s going through; it’s been the second time within a day - even though in this case, she did mention she did not care at all, and just wanted to giver her work some meaning. He found it quite alarming, yet oddly enough heartwarming. 

Though the girl looked intimidating, Peter felt she wasn’t up to anything bad. And he had nothing to lose by telling her his problems. So he did. “Well, I just got here, and I didn’t organize for a place to stay. And I don’t know anyone too or have any money on me, so I’m worried that I may have to stay out here until the competition starts.”

She suddenly looked unimpressed. “Well, that’s stupid.”

Peter’s shoulders just fell from the insult. He knew people would react this way. “I know, okay? But my-” He hesitated. He didn’t know what to call them, but he figured the technicalities wouldn’t matter anymore. “-my- my  _ family _ doesn’t really support me joining this competition so I just had to leave as soon as I saw the chance. I didn’t have time to worry about the other stuff.”

That statement somehow changed something, because after a few more seconds of silence and awkward staring- or Peter dared to say a moment of understanding- the girl stood up and picked up her things, as she started walking towards a certain direction. 

Peter watched confused until she stopped and turned back to him. “Get up and follow me if you don’t want to freeze your butt out here.” Then she started walking again. 

It took awhile for Peter to register what she had said, but when he did, he quickly grabbed Karen and ran after her. 

\--------

After a short moment of silent walking - because the girl was reading and Peter didn’t want to disturb her - eventually they arrived at a house. It wasn’t as big as the others that surrounded it, but it wasn’t so small either. Even in the cold night, it looked cozy, probably because of its light colors. The light from the inside too just radiated warmth.  The girl just casually walked up the doorway and knocked. 

Peter felt a tinge of hope spark in him, thinking that she was going to allow him to stay with her for the night. But then he backtracked, realizing there was something wrong with that thought. 

He, a young boy, was staying with her, a young girl, in their house for the night. Suddenly, he grew flustered from the realization. “I-Is this your house? I appreciate your kindness but we can’t possibly stay in the same house.”

The girl just looked at him incredulously. Before any of them could speak, the door opened and it revealed a guy- surely their age too- a bit shorter than both of them and he had a bit more meat in his body. Peter just blinked. 

“Hi MJ,” The new guy greeted, before he turned to look at Peter and he was equally shocked. “Oh- hey. Who’s this?”

“From out of town. He’s going to join the competition too. Ran away from home because his parents doesn’t support it. Dumb enough to forget to book a place and not bring money.” The girl, MJ was her name apparently, explained briefly- stress straining her voice because she was still shaken by Peter’s earlier implication. “You think your mom would let him stay? I think he’d freeze to death outside if you didn’t.”

The guy then snorted, “You know my mom. She’s a big ol softy. I’m sure she’ll say yes.” He then turned to Peter and offered his hand. “Hi, I’m Ned.”

Peter was pretty much still speechless about the whole situation, so he could only manage a nod and a handshake. 

“Yikes, your hands are really cold, dude.” The boy remarked, “We got to get you inside. You coming in too, MJ?”

“Nope. I think it’s about time I sneak back to my room.” She answered and turning around as she walked away, “See you guys tomorrow.”

Ned waved goodbye at her and greeted as well. “Sleep well!”

To Peter’s surprise, MJ entered the lodge right in front of them- must be where she was staying too. But if she slept in a lodge, that meant she was from out of town as well. Was she going to watch the competition?

“Come on, dude.” Ned spoke and invited Peter inside. Peter pretty much still couldn’t wrap his head around what just happened, but he bowed his head slightly as a sign of gratitude. “T-thank you for taking me in.”

“Nah, it’s no biggie. Can’t let you freeze out there. You also seem like a pretty solid guy. Plus, MJ brought you, and she is a creepily good judge of character.” The boy explained. Peter did not doubt her skill.

It didn’t take long until they reached the living room where a woman suddenly popped out a doorway, which Peter assumed lead to a kitchen because he could smell the heavenly aroma of porridge. 

“Hi dear who was at the do- Oh! You have a visitor? Who’s this?” 

“He’s gonna join the competition too. MJ found him outside with no place to go. Was wondering if he could stay here, mom?” He asked, and like Ned had said earlier, his mom easily gave in. 

“Of course he can! Oh dear. Look at him, he’s so thin.” The woman approached Peter and placed her warm hands on his cold cheeks. Her hands were warm and her touch was gentle. “And dear lord, he’s freezing! Would you mind sharing your room with him, Ned? Help him get his things inside while I prepare you two some hot chocolate and some porridge.” He had to admit it felt nice. The last time he felt something like that was with his Aunt May. He couldn’t help but melt at the sensation.

“Let’s go, dude. Looks like we’re bunking. Let me show you my room.” Ned said and showed him the way to his room. 

The room wasn’t what Peter was expecting. He expected something simple and plain- because Ned looked like a chill guy -yet he was greeted with tons of books, toys, and even some posters on the walls and ceilings. There were also cool trinkets like jars with fireflies in them, as well as gems that reflected different colors when light shined on them. 

Peter couldn’t help but just stare in awe. 

He wasn’t aware of Ned’s discomfort. “Ah sorry, my room’s kinda messy and well… Childish.”

To the smaller boy’s surprise, Peter turned to him with the most excited look on his face. “Are you kidding me, man? This room looks so  _ cool. _ Where’d you get that gem? And woah, that nutcracker looks so cool and-” He gasped as he went inside further and slowly approached a miniature model of a building on the table. “Woah- where’d you get this?”

Ned cleared his throat and blushed a bit. “Well… I kinda made it?”

Peter turned to him in surprise. “ _ You did _ ?”

“Well uh, yeah. I kinda like building miniature versions of stuff. People think it’s a stupid hobby.” He sounded embarrassed and the taller boy couldn’t understand why. 

“Ned, this is  _ so cool!” _ Peter couldn’t hold back his outburst. Ned even looked surprised to hear it. “It’s not stupid at all! I can tell it wasn’t an easy job too because, I mean- look at this! Look at the details! Holy cow, how’d you make a welcome mat this small? Can you show me how to make one?”

The shorter boy seemed caught off guard for a moment, because from all his past experiences, people thought his hobbies were childish if it could not be used to make anything useful. But suddenly he smiled widely, looking as excited as Peter did. He made a mental note to thank MJ for bringing him someone who not only understood, but appreciated it. “Sure! If you want to, I was planning to make one of the castle. We can like work on it together!”

The other boy’s eye glistened. “Really? I can work on it with you? That is going to be so awesome!”

A chuckle stopped them from their geeking out. Ned’s mother was leaning on the doorway, just amused to see her son find a new friend. “You boys can play after you move in and drink your hot chocolate, which by the way wouldn’t be hot anymore if you don’t hurry getting those things in.”

The boys look at each other briefly before they smiled and nodded to each other then sprinted outside. 

Peter’s things were quickly brought inside while Karen - Ned said it was a fitting name for her - was settled in one of their horse stalls. When it came to hot chocolate, they took their time. 

Over the nice warm drink, Peter learned about the family- they were the Leeds family by the way. He learned they were from out of town too but just recently bought the house because they had planned to move for a long time. Ned didn’t really dream of being royalty, much more a prince and a future king, but he did want to work for the castle, and the competition offered a good chance. Peter didn’t really consider that option- he just wanted to join for the experience, but he realized that that was a good opportunity too. As for Ned, he learned that Peter was a learning mechanic. They shared ideas on how to go about the miniature castle. Because of Peter’s skill set, Ned was excited to have a model not done with just glue and tape. They both didn’t have their own allowances for the project, but Mrs. Leeds was more than willing to help.

They had wanted to start as soon as possible, but they were sent to bed, being reminded that they both had a big day tomorrow.

They decided that the castle could wait after the first round.

\----

Came morning, Peter woke up early and got out of bed. Immediately,he went to the bathroom and prepared himself for the day. He wore normal black slacks and a white buttoned shirt. He then proceeded to the kitchen and prepared breakfast. 

Before sunrise, tea and bread were already on the table, and Peter was cooking eggs. He made a mental note of everything he had to do for the rest of the day. 

Feed the chickens, feed the horses, water the crops, wash the clothes, clean the first floor, prepare lunch, clean the second floor, feed-

A yawn broke him from his thoughts and he was surprised to see Mrs. Leeds walking in, and the woman was equally surprised to see him there. 

“O-Oh dear- did you make all of this?” She sounded shocked. 

Peter only then remembered that he wasn’t home. He didn’t have chores. He was at the kingdom of New York for a competition that would be happening in a few hours. He was staying at a house and using ingredients that were not his.

The sizzling of the eggs brought him back to reality and he panicked to save it from being burnt. He grew more embarrassed when he realized he just casually wore Mrs. Leeds’ apron without even questioning it. He was on complete autopilot. 

“I-uh- I’m so sorry. It’s just that, at home I-I do the chores and stuff, so I just acted- I didn’t mean to do anything without your permission-” He rambled. He really didn’t want to anger the family who helped him just because he touched their food without asking. Peter didn’t want to royally screw up that bad. 

He waited to be shouted at, but suddenly a sleepy Ned entered the kitchen too, and he was scratching his eye as he said, “Mom, I smell eggs. I want scrambled please.” His eyes then went wide open seeing his visitor in his mom’s apron. “Uh-”

Peter was fidgeting, nervous. He felt like tons of weight just fell on him as the shocked silence started to suffocate him.

Then a lighthearted laugh broke the silence, and Peter found himself watching Mrs. Leeds chuckle. There was no anger in her face, she wasn’t going to shout at him. Instead there was amusement, fondness even. “Ned, your guest is a gentleman.” She then walked towards him and placed a gentle hand on his cheeks. “Dear, you didn’t have to do all this, but thank you nonetheless. It’s rare to see kids your age being responsible. My little boy can’t even make tea.”

Her son huffed, “‘Cause you won’t teach me! You always want to make me tea yourself.”

She didn’t even argue. “What can I say? A mother has to do what a mother has to do. And that’s babying her son.”

“Yeah, her sixteen year old son.” Ned crossed his arms and pouted. 

Mrs. Leeds continued to laugh, “Yes. Her sixteen year old son who still like smiley faces on his pancakes.”

“Hey, a happy food makes a happy stomach!”

Peter found himself watching the exchange, and he found himself feeling a contradicting kind of warmth and heaviness in his chest. The whole situation was so tender, so loving, he felt happy to be included, but at the same time, he felt envious.

He used to feel the same everyday, that is until it was all taken away from him. Now he can’t help but think this is the closest he’ll ever get to feeling the same familiar warmth ever again. 

So he smiled, and laughed along with them, cherishing the moment. 

Eventually, Mrs. Leeds took over the cooking. Peter wondered what for because eggs and bread were already enough, but he hadn’t expected the additional bacon and toast. It felt like a breakfast feast for Peter, because with Norman and Harry, they were not allowed to prepare so much- at least if it meant Peter was eating with them. 

So Peter had his first very tasty and fulfilling breakfast in a long time. Mrs. Leeds even complimented him on his tea making. He shared that it was a kind of medicinal tea that helped with cleansing the body. She asked for the recipe, he happily told her. 

The rest of the morning was spent with preparing for the competition. Ned was supposed to wear a three piece suit, but when he heard Peter was sticking to his simple attire, he managed to convince his mom that a coat was already too much. 

Mrs. Leeds wasn’t happy with that. They looked too simple she said. A big day called for an extravagant outfit. Peter had said that he didn’t have a lot of clothes, but he opted on adding a vest, resulting to Ned having to wear one as well. Still, she believe there was something missing in their look. 

She would not allow them to leave without pinpointing what it is, so the three of them had to compromise. Both Peter and Ned were given matching hats. And Mrs. Leeds was satisfied. 

Soon it was about time they headed out. Mrs. Leeds saw them off, giving both boys a kiss to the forehead- in which Peter was very flustered about receiving- and both of them just jogged towards the meeting place- the castle grounds. 

Little by little, the streets grew busier, the sound of the people got louder. Adults were being escorted to the sidelines- the viewing area Peter guessed- and there was a line of youths that lead to the main gate. Peter and Ned quickly fell in line to have their invitations checked and when they got into the grounds, a familiar face called out to them.

“You guys are late.” 

There stood MJ, along with a group of other kids their age, and some of them were girls too. Peter blinked at the scene trying to take it in, but even when he and Ned got to the group, he still couldn’t believe it.

“Glad to see that you didn’t turn into a popsicle.” MJ told him with a straight face, but he could tell she was amused.

Oh so curious Peter couldn’t help but ask. “You’re joining the competition?”

Suddenly she frowned. “Is there a problem with that?”

The brunet boy immediately regretted asking and stuttered an answer. “N-no! Not a problem! I just never thought a girl-  _ girls _ were allowed to join.”

A girl from their group spoke up, “We didn’t think so too. But Michelle saw that there wasn’t anything in the letter saying that girls  _ couldn’t _ join so we all came here.”

Peter was just flabbergasted. He was almost speechless. “That- that’s really smart.

MJ, or Michelle as well, for a moment looked surprised that Peter had easily accepted it, but she just shrugged and paid attention to the crowd, “It’s no big deal. I think the castle wanted girls to join too, because usually they are very specific with invitations. I don’t know about our king, but her Highness, Queen Pepper Stark is very particular with these things-”

Peter zoned her out because something was bugging him. Something about her name seemed so familiar- as if he heard of it before. 

“ _ Michelle _ !” All it took as a familiar voice to say it, and suddenly Peter remembered why that name almost brought him dread. 

Peter turned around quickly and he felt his whole body tense when he saw his step-brother, Harry, jogging towards them. 

His heart started beating erratically, and he couldn’t help but back away. He wanted to run, but Ned was standing behind him, Michelle was beside him, and everyone else was covering all his escape points. 

He felt himself hold his breath when he came face to face with his step-brother. 

Peter looked at Harry, nervous, panicked, and scared- scared that maybe Dr. Strange’s spell wasn’t working after all. 

And Harry, he looked at Peter confused, quizzical,  _ judgemental _ . The brunet boy couldn’t help but sink under those familiar eyes. 

Everything stopped when Harry spoke. 

_ “Who’s this?” _

And Peter just felt every weight he was carrying fall off his shoulders. The breath he was keeping in went out, his heartbeat slowed down, and he stopped trembling- he wasn't even aware he was. 

Ned was about to answer, mouth opening and closing, but nothing came out. “Holy crap, dude we slept in the same room and I didn’t even know your name.”

MJ herself seemed disappointed in herself for not asking. “God, your sad face distracted me from asking the obvious. So what’s your name?”

Unfortunately for Peter, the relief didn’t even last. All eyes were on him, and he hadn’t even prepared for it. 

He was about to spew out a ridiculously random name when suddenly horns were blown and all the attention went to the lowest balcony of the castle. 

Out came the king, the queen, and their whole team. Everyone cheered for them. 

Tony Stark flashed a smile that captured all, and confidently announced, “Good morning, people of New York. On this fine morning, let us all welcome our young and brave youths, all willing to prove themselves worthy of the throne!”

People cheered again, louder this time. 

Peter was overwhelmed to say the least. He was going to prove himself to all these people. They were all going to see who and what Peter Parker really is. 

His hands go to his chest as he felt his heart beat go fast again. His nerves were acting up again. He tried to remember Dr. Strange’s words, he tried to keep the thoughts of how he wanted to make his parents and aunt and uncle proud. It helped but it wasn’t enough, so Peter tried to focus on one thing- his eyes look for something- something that will ground him. 

His eyes fall on the king. The man stood confidently, strongly, like a wall that couldn’t be knocked down. Peter realized he wanted to be like that too. He realized he wanted to be strong and confident as well. He wanted to be someone that couldn’t be pushed around so easily. 

He watched as the king’s eyes swept the crowd, taking in every single kid who had the possibility of becoming his heir, and Peter was shocked to see the king’s eyes land on him, and he smirked as if he was glad to see him.

But that couldn’t be possible, the boy thought. He was at the back of the crowd. The king couldn’t possibly have noticed him, specially with so many others who were more eye catching.

But Peter allowed himself to believe that the Tony Stark was looking at him, allowed himself to feel confident that that man on that balcony believed in him too. 

Because he was there, and it was happening. Both Tony Stark and Dr. Strange gave him this chance, and he was not going to waste it.

When he heard Tony Stark speak again, he believed he was talking to him directly. 

“Today, as well as the following days of the week, you will be pushed to the limits. Do you think you got what it takes to be the leader our fine kingdom needs?”

Peter knew Tony couldn’t hear him, specially not with all the other competitors shouting their hearts out about how they do have what it takes.

But Peter wasn’t like those kids. He wasn’t confident, at least not  _ yet _ . He looked at the king directly, and answered with full determination. “I don’t think I’m there yet, but I will definitely get there. I won’t give up until I do.”

And as if he heard, the king smiled. “That’s what I want to hear.”

Peter felt warm and powerful, like he could take on the world just because of that sentence- a sentence that wasn’t directly for him but he pretended it was.

He let himself think that the king gave him that invitation because he believed he could prove himself, and by God, Peter will make sure he does, or die trying.

Attentive with a newfound drive, Peter -as well as all the other competitors- listened to what the king had to say next. “So I guess it’s time to announce what the first round is all about, right?”

The kids cheered excitedly. All morning, whispers about it being a joust or a race could be heard. Men were excited to try it out, the women felt a little bit disadvantaged, but they were not going down without a fight.

Of course, they believed only the strongest and the most skilled get to be the heir. 

But little did they know, the Starks were looking for something more than brawns. 

“My dear queen, would you do the honors of announcing the mechanics?” Tony offered Pepper the spotlight, and she happily obliged.

“All competitors will be led inside the ballroom, where they will be seated in any chair they’d like. On that chair is a pen and two pieces of paper.”

The faces of the youth morphed from smiles to confused faces. Their expressions read ‘what are we going to do with paper?’

Pepper smiled, all graceful and divine, but there was a hint of challenge behind it. “You all have three hours to answer the questions written on them. Those with scores who do not meet our standards will not be able to continue with this competition.”

The Avengers couldn’t help but smirk. The purpose of the first round was to weed out those who joined just for the fame, the glory, the riches, or just for the sake of joining. Only those who had true potential, who knew about the kingdom they could possibly lead would pass that round, and the test was fool proof.

Because they were giving an actual, legitimate  _ exam _ about the kingdom’s rules and regulations _. _

Majority of the kids’ faces were suddenly then horrified and distraught. Obviously they had not prepared for  _ that _ kind of test. 

So needless to say, the first round would do its job really well.


End file.
